Etiennedup

Well chaps, all I can say , is.........a heartfelt THANK YOU. It feels good to be part of this knowledgeable fraternity. Two notes; [ They Jammed Kenny!] Popped out number four prop....Well spotted......I only noticed it after the photo shoot and tried camouflaging it in P/shop but it obviously did not solve the problem..........oh well, nothing can be perfect. [ Spitfire 21] I feel flattered, but the last pic is not a diorama but a pic of the real thing.😉 Cheers, Etienne.

Here is my Connie model depicting a South African Airways example in use during the fifties. For a kit dating from 1985 it went together quite easily partly due small amount of parts, unlike today's models that is sometimes 'over engineered'. The finished product nevertheless represents a good example of a real Connie. Various shades of kitchen and Bare Metal foil as well as locally produced decal by "Le Voss " finished this most enjoyable build that took longer than normal because of the foiling process. Cheers, Etienne.

Here is my Zvezda 72nd. model depicting a SAAF 28 Sqn. C 130 during the mid sixties. I am most impressed with this very detailed Russian kit that made the building process a breeze. The metal finish was done with three hues of kitchen / Bare -Metal foil plus Tamiya X-2 white. Decals are from Levos Decals, a locally based concern. Because of the foiling process it took longer than normal to complete ..but, is that not what a hobby is, enjoying your spare time? Cheers, Etienne.

As Troy said, I am a stickler for WW II original period colour.................. but I must admit it is getting more dicey by the day with all the new apps and tools making their appearance. All the photos in my collection are posted as is plus cleaning, brightening focusing or enlarging where necessary. After more than 800 images totalling 50 million views over fifteen years , it confirms that this is a popular subject ................with the support of the Britmodeller members (and Troy) forming a large part it..............thank you. However, locating new images is becoming a problem these days as there does not seem to be any more new RAF images seeing the light of day. Any new pointers or contributions would be much appreciated. Cheers, Etienne.

I came across this https://archiv-akh.de/filme?utf-8=✓&q=Farbe#314 site containing hundreds of period films, many with partial Agfa colour sections in between the B/W films. Cheers.

Graham, as a matter of interest; Apart from the twenty nine SA Airways Lodestars (P&W twin wasp powered) taken over by the SAAF there were two separate Hornet powered ambulance aircraft donated to the SA Government by the SA Red Cross with serials 1371 and 1378. For more details and photos look here; http://magazine.ipmsnsw.com/pdf/19-3.pdf [ ]

Rob; Yes, the 1200 HP P&W twin wasp of the Dakota was also used in our Lodestars. ( I can see a lot of 'surgery' coming! ) ilj ; Those superb photos are just what the doctor ordered. They are exactly what I needed. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. So, things are looking up..........I might just tackle the project after all. I'll have one on you tonight! Cheers, Etienne.

Thanks so far Troy and Rob. Re the engines Rob..........I am thinking of using a pair of Dakota ones from my spares box that seems to fit the bill. But, and it is a big BUT.........I'll only go ahead if and when all my (conversion) boxes are ticked.😟 Cheers,

I am also considering trying my hand at converting a 1:48 Ventura to a Lodestar 18-08 model as used by the SAAF (see pic) First of all I require a detailed set of plans, especially a top and bottom view (I've got a side view ) Could anyone suggest a reliable site where I could obtain (buy) such a set? Hope someone can help. Etienne.

Are you chaps aware of this IWM photo? But then again, I suppose it is a repaint. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205214260 Etienne.

Thanks for all these kind words chaps. As mentioned before, one always tries to do better with the next model, but it seems that this one hit the sweet spot. A few questions popped up, so here are some answers. (a) The roundels are decals that I obtained at a local Hobby shop. (b)Yes, the photos were taken in bright sunlight that we have quite a bit of here. (c)The pilot figure comes from the spares box and was 'operated ' on to look sideways. (d) The TSS colours were hand mixed to match the colour chips in the "British Aviation Colours" booklet. Having said that, the mixture does not always come out the same as can be seen in this example from a previous build. Once again, thank you very much. Cheers, Etienne,

The inspiration came from the excellent colour photos by Charles E Brown of some FAA Avengers from 846 Sqn. in 1943. The Academy kit went together seamlessly and I only had to add the cowling gun opening in front of the cockpit. Tamiya paints rounded off a very enjoyable build. Cheers.

Colin, here are some WW II colour shots. https://edan.si.edu/slideshow/viewer/?eadrefid=NASM.XXXX.0356_ref1299 Cheers. E.

I also enlarged and tweaked the subject in question.